Handling Technology for the Defense Industry: Relieving Workers During Production Ramp-up

Handling technology for the defense industry is becoming the bottleneck. While defense budgets worldwide reach record highs and ammunition factories multiply their capacities, manufacturers must move heavy components faster, more safely, and with fewer personnel. This is exactly where Zeilhofer's ergonomic handling technology comes in: We don't build the end products — we build the systems that relieve your production.

Articulated manipulator with vacuum gripper for heavy steel plates

Defense Boom in Numbers: What the Market Demands in 2025 and 2026

The security policy situation has triggered an investment cycle that will shape industrial manufacturing for years. The key figures:

• NATO: At the Hague summit in June 2025, a spending target of 5 percent of GDP by 2035 was agreed upon — 3.5 percent directly for defense and 1.5 percent for security-relevant infrastructure. The previous target was 2 percent.

• Germany: The defense budget will rise to around 108.2 billion euros in 2026, the highest level since the end of the Cold War. Around 47.88 billion euros are earmarked for military procurement alone, also financed from the 100-billion-euro Bundeswehr special fund.

• EU: The Readiness 2030 plan (formerly ReArm Europe) is set to mobilize over 800 billion euros. The SAFE instrument provides up to 150 billion euros as loans for joint procurement and the expansion of industrial capacities.

• Production: A leading German manufacturer opened Europe's largest ammunition plant in 2025 with an investment of 500 million euros. Annual production of 155 mm artillery ammunition is set to grow from 25,000 rounds (2025) to 140,000 (2026) and 350,000 rounds. The industry-wide target is around 1.5 million rounds by 2030.

The message for manufacturing is clear: volume and pace are rising dramatically. The bottleneck is rarely the machine, but the manual handling of heavy parts.

What the Ramp-up Means for Manufacturing in Concrete Terms

More shifts, larger quantities, and heavy, often sensitive components meet a tight labor market. In practice, this means:

• Heavy loads: Metal blanks, forgings, containers, assemblies for vehicle and system technology, as well as armor and structural components regularly exceed the limits of safe manual lifting.

• High cycle rates: Rising quantities require short, repeatable cycle times without loss of quality.

• Occupational safety and skilled labor shortage: Physical strain leads to absences. At the same time, qualified personnel are scarce and must be relieved from heavy lifting work.

• Sensitive parts: Precisely guided loads prevent damage to expensive or safety-critical components.

How Zeilhofer Handling Technology Supports Production

Zeilhofer Handling Technology supplies the systems that resolve exactly this bottleneck. Our manipulators move loads up to 800 kg stationary and pendulum-free. The ZH90 lifting axis lifts up to 1,200 kg on the linear Z-axis. For variant-rich processes, articulated manipulators and mobile lift platforms up to 100 kg are available.

The gripper is decisive: we develop custom grippers and fixtures precisely matched to the geometry, weight, and process environment of the component. Heavy parts are positioned virtually weightlessly, precisely, and without uncontrolled pendulum motion. What a manipulator is and how it works is explained in our Guide: What is a manipulator? and the Guide: What is a lifting axis?.

Ergonomics and Cost-Effectiveness in the Defense Industry

Relief is measurable. Anyone who no longer lifts heavy loads manually reduces physical strain, poor posture, and thus absenteeism. Precise guidance reduces rejects and rework on sensitive components. At the same time, cycle reliability and throughput rise because one operator can handle even large parts alone and in a controlled manner. Ergonomic workstations are also an argument in the competition for skilled workers.

Customized Engineering from a Single Source

Every task in defense and military technology production brings its own requirements. That's why every solution is created individually: engineering, design, manufacturing, commissioning, and service all from a single source in Holzkirchen. Zeilhofer Handling Technology is ISO 9001 certified and works according to TISAX Level 2 with prototype protection. Especially for sensitive and confidential projects, this is a key factor. With solutions for 18 industries and customers in over 50 countries, we know the requirements of heavy, large-format, and safety-critical components.

Industries Now Ramping Up and Being Relieved

The investment push is reaching not only the obvious areas. Handling technology supports along the entire supply chain:

• Defense and military technology

• Ammunition and component manufacturing

• Vehicle and system technology (protected and armored vehicles)

• Metal processing, forging, and machining operations

• Aerospace and suppliers

Relieve Production: Get Your Process Analyzed Now

Are you scaling up your manufacturing and looking for a solution for heavy, safe, and ergonomic handling? We analyze your process and develop a fitting manipulator or a tailor-made gripper solution. Request now — no obligation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What loads can Zeilhofer Handling Technology move in defense production?

• The manipulators move loads up to 800 kg, the ZH90 lifting axis up to 1,200 kg. This allows heavy metal components, assemblies, and containers to be positioned pendulum-free and precisely.

Are the systems suitable for ammunition and defense technology manufacturing?

• Yes. Manipulators, lifting axes, and custom grippers relieve workers when handling heavy and sensitive components in production. Zeilhofer builds the handling technology, not the end products.

How is confidentiality ensured in sensitive projects?

• Zeilhofer Handling Technology is ISO 9001 certified and works according to TISAX Level 2 with prototype protection. This secures a confidential development and manufacturing path.

Are the solutions standard or customized?

• Every gripper solution is customized: engineering, design, manufacturing, commissioning, and service come from a single source in Holzkirchen, with customers in over 50 countries.

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